Updating Barbarella’s soundtrack

The greatest thing about Sci Fi as a genre (and what isn’t great about it?) is the complete abandon of logic in favor of outlandish characters, story lines and, heck, entire universes. It’s a brand of fiction that asks the audience not just to go along for the the ride, but to suspend belief in all that we know to be true (the existence of super humans, the uses of kryptonite, the ability to outsmart gravity) and then follow a completely convoluted plot.

But there are always great costumes, amazing inventions and the grooviest of soundtracks.

Enter Wilmington-based Sci Fi, a jazz-funk experimental trio taking otherworldly sounds to infinity … and beyond. On their MySpace page, the group lists “Every particle of dust that has ever vibrated the cosmic soundscape” as their influence, but never mind that potentially new-age description. They’re more of a Jethro Tull-meets-Big Brother and the Holding Company in the year 3121. On Neptune. Deep grooves, driving rhythms, 70s-era funk that begs a Hammond B3 organ.

Upcoming local show dates include Westville Pub (777 Haywood Rd., Asheville, 225-9782) on Thursday, Aug. 9, at 9 p.m. and Hannah Flanagan’s (27 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 252-1922) on Friday, Aug. 10.

—Alli Marshall, A&E reporter

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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2 thoughts on “Updating Barbarella’s soundtrack

  1. todd jones

    i saw them at the emerald lounge, yes they are amazing players, but the deep grooves, jams put me into yawnville after 30min. it’s one thing to showcase how well a band can play, but i need an occasional melody, a human voice, or as their name suggests maybe far out theatrics, lights, fog, ufos? yes, they did have a special guest vocalist for one song in the first set but then she was gone and the jams jammed and jammed and jammed…

  2. RingoStarchy

    SciFi used to go by the moniker “Fat Ellis,” until late last year, when several members of the band left to pursue personal goals. Fat Ellis was a tight, incredible band which always left me wanting more.

    SciFi leaves a little to be desired, but I still go out and support the guys when I can.

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